Lasting Effects
by TheAngelofFate
Summary: The events in the Digital World have passed, things have been going well for Koji and his family, now if it wasn't for the nightmare that he keeps having almost every night then he could say everything was 100% okay. No slash (reposted) R&R


(Reposted due to diffculties, I've been having problems with this sort of thing, sorry guys.)

AN: Damn the season 4 of Digimon! It's pulled me into its grasp once again! The twins have pulled me in! Help me, before it's too late! D:

Koichi &amp; Koji, I can't take their adorableness! Even after all these years I still love those two eternally! =3

So I'm writing something for them! Contains brotherly fluff! Honestly did you except anything else!? XD

* * *

Koji jerked awake at the seer intensity of his nightmare, sweat dripped down his back and his throat felt dry and hoarse. He took a deep breathe to calm himself down as he rubbed his damp, itchy eyes roughly.

_Calm down._ He told himself. There was no need to get so worked up. Even as he thought that, the warrior of Light knew that was a lie. It had only been two weeks since they all had return home from the Digital World. That world and their own being saved by the Ten Legendary Warrior's and the five of them from Lucemon.

Two weeks since he nearly lost Koichi.

Koji shivered, wrapping his arms around himself and rolling onto his side.

Revealing that the twins had found one another to their parents was more difficult with their father then with their mother, whom was overjoyed that her sons were together. Their father, however seemed more guilty and ashamed then glad. For it _was_ his idea to not only separate them but keep it a secret for thirteen years.

It had been a lot to take in the first couple of days, lots of tension and raising voices. All directed to Mr. Minamoto from a very betrayed feeling Koji. He remembered glaring at their father, demanding an explanation, his body shook with anger as he stood in front of Koichi in a protective manner, his hands grasping his twin's arm, fearing that they would cruelly separate them again.

After the air had been cleared from all the anger, yelling, finger pointing, and tension. A true explanation was said. It wasn't a good enough one for Koji to accept, but it was one nonetheless. Soon family get together's with the five of them weren't as awkward as they first had been, and Koji's relationship with Koichi grew with each passing day, the two Warriors of Light and Dark were inseparable just as they were in the Digital World.

Things were good.

But even after _all_ that family confrontation and difficult understanding, Koji still had the same reoccurring memory in his sleep. His twin's lifeless, dull eyes haunted him everything time he closed them. Koichi's skin, ice cold to the tough made his own crawl. The loud beeping from the monitor only deepened that horrible feeling.

He shivered once again as his breath hitched. And squeezed his blue eyes shut. _Stop it. He's alive, he's not de- gone. He's home with mom right now. _Koji thought furiously. Because it was true, Koichi _was_ fine, he was alive and with their mother. And yet- Koji couldn't shake these feelings away, this unbearable pain, this cold dread, he never could. Not until he knew that he brother was alright. Usually it only took a simple text from his phone to Koichi's to ease his mind enough for him to fall back asleep.

But this particular nightmare was worse then the rest of them. Texting his brother wasn't enough, for Koji to fully relax, he needed to see Koichi with his own two eyes that he was truly alright.

He gazed at his alarm clock, 3:14 a.m. Koichi was probably already in bed and their mother was most likely starting the night shift at the Hospital. Would his twin understand? Would he offer the reassurance Koji desperately needed wanted?

_Yes. _

Hopping up out of his bed, he threw on his dark blue jacket and white shoes. He quietly- as to not wake up his father and step-mother- walked out into the nightly air. Since the trains stopped running a while ago the Warrior of Light was forced to walk the two long miles to get to the small apartment where Koichi was located. It was cold outside, making him wish that he brought something thicker to shield himself from the cold, instead of his thin blue jacket. Desperate for warm, he quickly zipped it up and shoved his hands into his pockets.

Matters only worsened for him as it started to rain. Thick, heavy rain drops poured down on him. Koji sighed once and but kept walking, three minutes later he could see the outline of the apartments coming into view. Out of the corner of his eye though, he saw something that made him stop and turn. Laying in one of the alleyways was abandoned brunette haired doll. It was drenched in rain water, the toy felt so out of place and lonely that he actually felt sympathy for it. It's long, yarn hair sticking to it's face and purple dress. It's cold, green eyes stared up at Koji, they were like a corpse. Those doll eyes, unseeing.

A memory flashed within his mind and those doll eyes were replaced with Koichi's. Fear started to hammer in his chest, Koji shook his head trying to push the memory into the far corners of his head. But it was no use, the more he looked at the doll, the stronger the memory became and the worse Koji felt.

His body shook, but it wasn't from the chilly air. Koji found himself breathing heavily as he recalled what Koichi had said. **"_I didn't think that I'd see you, but your here."_**

He knew. _You knew didn't you, bro?_ His twin had figured out why he never got injured to the point where his Fractal Code never appeared, when everyone else's, including Koji's would. Koichi found out. But just didn't say anything.

_I knew something was wrong. I could see that he was worried about something by the look on his face._

_**"Koichi? C'mon, bro. What's wrong?" **_

_**"I told you. Nothing." **_

_Yeah, nothing._ Koji didn't believe that for a second. At the moment he knew Koichi was keeping a secret from the rest of them. But he was patient, and persistent.

_**"We're bound together, it's how I know there's something bothering you."**_ He had said.

His brother had tried to deny such a fact, saying that he was fine. But the Warrior of Light wouldn't have any more of that.

_**"I'm** __not__ **guessing,** **I** __know__**.** **When your hurting, I feel it too.** **When you suffer,** __I__ **suffer along with you, don't you know that?"**_ But where as Koji was patient and persistent, Koichi was stubborn and hesitant.

Squeezing his eyes shut Koji yanked his bandanna off his head and ran a hand through his soaking wet hair. _ Why didn't you tell me, Koichi? Why?_

Would it had made a difference if his twin had told him that he was just a spirit in the Digital World? That he was- in fact- already dead the minute Koji and the others left on the Trailmon's? No, that answer was simple. It wouldn't have matter at all if Koji knew or not. For he, either way would still have to face the blank, lifeless expression his brother wore as he pleaded and begged for Koichi to come back.

_"__**Koichi! Wake up! Koichi! You have to come back! I'm here now, it's okay, it's **okay**! Please!"**_ It hadn't been the first time he's cried, but as he looked at his brother's pale face, it was however the first time he's sobbed in his life. Tears ran down his cheeks, his chin and neck. He was bawling as he embraced a reborn Koichi, they both were.

He clinched his hands into fists. With more difficulty then there should have been he tore his eyes away from the doll's and bolted down the street. It's strange that the two of them were always running towards each other. The Warrior of Darkness ran as too finally meet one another face to face. The Warrior of Light ran in fear of losing the other.

And now he was doing it again.

His left hand laid on the wall near the front door, he leaned against it for support as he tried to catch his breathe. He was soaked to the bone, his whole body was shaking like a leaf, but Koji had made it.

Raising his right hand, he wasted no time in laying two swift knocks on the wooden door.

Four.

Three.

Two-

The door opened. It was as if someone had replaced the open door with a mirror. Koichi's face, the very one they shared, seemed surprised as he stared at Koji, his eyes as wide as saucers. "Koji?"

He's okay. _See? Nothing to be worried about_. He reassured himself. Full blown relief flooded through him, his brother was alright. He couldn't describe how happy he was to know that. The mere thought of Koichi dying made his heart ache. His blue eyes started to sting. Soon tears flowed freely down his cheeks. Taking one step forward he enveloped his twin in a tight hug.

Second laters, he felt arms wrap around him as well. Hands rubbed small circles on his drenched back in a attempt to soothe him.

"...Koji?"

His brother's voice was filled with concern.

"Koichi. I..." Koji trailed off. Not sure what to say that would explain why he was acting this way. He leaned the side of his face against Koichi's as he cried silent tears that mixed with the rain water still dripping down his wet PJ's and jacket.

The Warrior of Darkness seemed to understand everything then, as if Koichi had read his mind. He tighten his hug and pulled Koji closer to him to give him as much comfort as he needed.

"It's okay, Koji."

_**"It's okay, it's **okay**! Please!" **_

He gulped down the lump in his throat. "K-Koichi!" Said twin felt the other's distress. Koichi let one arm fall but kept one clasped tightly around Koji's shoulders as he help him inside the small apartment.

* * *

He gave Koji his spare night shirt and pants as he left to put his brother's wet jacket, bandanna and pajamas in the hamper so they could be dried when the sun rose later. It still baffled him that Koji had walked two miles in the pouring rain at three in the morning just to see him. The nightmare he had must have been worse then the others.

And knowing that he quickly walked back to his bedroom where he found Koji already clothed and laying on his right in his bed with the covers pulled up to his neck. Making his way to the other side of the bed, he pulled the cover back and laid down.

Immediately Koji had him in a firm embrace once again.

Koichi smiled gently, around their friends or the public in general Koji wasn't nearly as cuddly, if not at all. The most he would do was a hand, arm on or around the shoulder. But alone, with just each other. Koichi saw a side of Koji that no else got to see. A softer, sensitive side, one ready and willing to give more hugs. A side that shows more emotions, such as crying.

And he cherished that.

Koji buried his face in the crook of his brother's neck and relaxed as best as he could. "...I'm sorry. It must be annoying. Me being so _clingy_."

Koichi shook his head and gently returned his identical twins hug. "I've never once thought that, Koji."

Silence.

"Want to talk about it?"

Koji let out a shuddered breathe. "...No."

More silence.

"I dreamt about that day in the hospital. About you lying on that table, your eyes- hollow. You were gone."

The Warrior of Darkness rubbed Koji's shoulder. "It's okay, brother."

"It's _not_ okay!" Suddenly Koji jerk his face away from Koichi's neck and gaze at the him with pained, piercing eyes, eyes they both shared. "It's not okay, _nii-san_!

His twin's outburst surprised him.

"You died! Koichi! The monitor flat lined, your heart _stopped_!" Koji said loudly as his voice shook. Fresh tears made their way down his now dry face. Gently, Koji placed his forehead against Koichi's and tried to cease his trembling. "You-You were dead. For a few terrifying minutes you were gone. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? To receive hope that you were still alive then for fate to cruelly shove it in your face that you weren't for some minutes. It felt like I failed. And it _hurt_." Koji's hands gripped the clothing of his brother's shirt like a vice, he held on as tightly as his fingers would allow.

All Koichi could do was listen as Koji spoke. He did understand what Koji was going through. The feelings of fear, hurt, and failure. He had felt all those when he ran after his brother at the train station. _Fear_ that he would never be able to meet Koji face to face, _Hurt_ that he'll never know or have that connection that bond with his twin like he should, and _Failure_ that he wasn't brave enough to just talk up and talk to his brother before things had went south.

Yes, he understood. He ran a hand through Koji's messy, damp ponytail in a attempt to show that he did. "I'm here, Koji. I'm alive. See?"

Koji nodded, tears still falling down his cheeks. "I _know_ that, I've told myself that. I-I just can't help it. The nightmare won't leave me alone!" The Warrior of Light's voice was just above a whisper but he had heard it.

He wanted to say something to his brother, _something_ to comfort Koji and reassure him. "I just have a few more boxes to pack. I'll be ready to move into your house in a couple more days." He said hoping that statement would calm the other.

Koji sniffed. "Yeah, so?" He asked sounding slightly like publicly-antisocial Koji. Koichi almost laughed.

"_So_, maybe with us sharing a room, going to the same school and being together all the time will help the nightmare be less frequent."

Koji closed his eyes. "Are you sure mom's okay with you moving into my house?"

_It was her idea._

"Yeah, she's completely fine with it."

Silence.

"You feeling any better?" The Warrior of Darkness asked gently.

Upon the question being said, Koji moved and laid his forehead to where it was previously, in the crook of Koichi's neck. "Just... Don't go anywhere, and I will be."

"Koji..." He breathed. His voice turned sad at his brother's tone. "I.. Can't promise that." It was true he couldn't. Fate is a harsh being in itself. Neither of them knew what it had in store down the road. Yes, they were together again and safe. But for how long? The Digital World was dangerous but their own world was even more so. Fate could decide to take Koichi away again. And this time there would be no miracle to bring him back.

In an instant his brother's condition reverted back to how he was when he first arrived. The younger twins body began to shake, his arms went around the older's back and held on for dear life. "_Nii-san. _Please_._"

Koichi sighed quietly. For a _second_ he wished Koji wasn't so sensitive and overprotective when it came to him. But then that thought vanished. _If our rolls were reversed? How would I be acting? _

His brother had every right to be this way. They were, after all, twins. They were each other's half, two sides of the same coin. And more so, they were Light and Darkness.

_**"Did you know that Light and Dark are brothers? It's true, Koichi. One can't even live without the other one. Darkness is only a bad thing unless you choose to make it that way."**_

Patamon was right, one both accounts.

He swallowed the lump that suddenly appeared in his throat. "Only if you promise the same thing to me." Koichi whispered out.

Without any hesitation Koji nodded. "I promise. If we go anywhere, anywhere at all, it'll be together. Like it's always been."

A warmth grew in Koichi's heart at Koji's words. Now it was his turn to feel emotional, his turn to be the twin that needed the reassurance. Tears pricked his own eyes as he embraced the brother he tried so desperately to meet and wished so badly to get to know.

"Okay, Koji. I promise."

Koji let out a sigh and relaxed against Koichi. "Thanks Koichi."

"Of course. Anytime, brother. "

Soon the twins lay in a comfortable silence that they both welcomed easily. It didn't take long for Koichi to realize that Koji was starting to fall asleep. "Koichi?" The younger's voice small as he fought the hands that were pulling him into dreamland.

The older's arm ached slightly from laying on it, but he didn't complain, he never did. "Hmm?"

"Love you, bro."

The sentence was so quiet, it sounded more like a exhale of breathe, that tickled his neck, then a sentence at all. But Koichi heard it anyway, and it surprised him.

Sure, they loved one another, it's was clearly obvious that they did considering all they've done for each other. But neither of them have said it out loud before, not in the Digital World nor when Koichi awoke from dying.

Hearing it now, and knowing that Koji meant it wholeheartedly, The Warrior of Darkness has never felt so happy in his life.

Koichi smiled. "Love you too, Koji."

* * *

Reviews are much appreciated!


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